Organic certification and marketing

Animal products are commonly targeted for the local market in the producing countries whereby local demand normally surpasses the supply. In such situations, there is still room to increase production to meet the ever-increasing demand. However, in some cases, consumers even within domestic markets are demanding sustainably produced animal products such as eggs, milk and meat. There is, therefore, an opportunity for marketing sustainably produced or organic products which can fetch premium prices. But the decision to certify animal production should be based on the availability of the market or the willingness of retailers to promote sustainably produced or organic animal products.

Local organic standards exist in some countries, which may have specific requirements for animal production. The following general requirements are, however, common to all:

• Proper choice of breeds
• Animals that were bred using cloning techniques or embryonic transfer are not allowed
• Use of feed only from natural or organically certified sources
• Limited use of concentrate feeds fed to ruminants
• Chemical treatments and therapies not allowed, except for therapies described by a veterinarian
• Permanent tethering of animals is not allowed